Tiling.



PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907.

J. M. WELLS.

TILING.

-APPLIOATION FILED JULY3.1907.

- INVIENTOR JSf/JIZ J11. WeMS' BY I 11L ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH M. WELLS, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-IIALF TO FRANK L. DAVIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TILIN G.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosErH M. WELLS, a subject of Great Britain, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tiling, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in tiles for Walls, ceilings, floors and the like, and it consists in the novel tile hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to produce a tile of novel formation on its inner face, whereby many advantages in the matter of securely anchoring tiles in cement may be attained.

Among the purposes secured by my invention, it may be mentioned that owing to the novel formation of the inner face of the tile the cement is enabled to firmly grip the individual tiles on their face portions and also on shoulders with which the tiles are provided, that the tiles are provided with maximum surfaces against which the cement may act, that the tiles along their edges are formed with projecting flanges against which the cement may act in binding the tiles together at their adjoining edge portions, that the edge flanges on the tiles prevent the glaze applied to the outer faces and edges of the tiles from finding its way upon the inner edges of the inner face of the tiles, that in the formation of the grooves, shoulders and flanges on the inner faces of the tiles the construction is such that upon the application of cement to the tiles or the tiles to a body of cement is not trapped between the same, and that the tiles may be burned uniformly without warping or other distortion.

In accordance with my invention I form the inner face of the tile along each edge with a groove, the grooves extending respectively the full length and width of the tile and being open at both ends, and the inner walls of the grooves being vertical or substantially so and the outer walls thereof preferably inclined upwardly and outwardly to the extreme outer side and end edges of the tile.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a tile constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through two adjoining tiles embodying my invention and shown held against a body of cement, and Figs. 3 to 8 inclusive are detached sectional views of the edge portions of several modified forms of tiles embodying my invention.

In the drawings, 10 designates the tile, 11 the inner face thereof, and 12 the outer face having the usual glazed surface.

My invention resides in the formation of the inner face of the tile, and in carrying out my invention I form such inner face, adjacent to its end and side edges, with grooves 14, which, as shown in Fig. 1, are open at their ends and for all practical purposes may be regarded as one continuous groove open at the corners of the tile. The grooves 14 will preferably have a flat base, inner substantially vertical walls 15 and outer inclined walls 16, the latter and the adjacent inner edge portions of the tile forming edge flanges 17 whose inner edges preferably meet, as shown in Fig. 1. The inner walls 15 are continuous and define an oblong panel presenting a uniform face, and the flanges 17 are at the corner portions of the tile, discontinued, whereby the ends of the grooves 14 become left open throughout their entire cross-sectional area.

In the application of the tiles to their final position the cement 18 may grip them on the faces of their inner oblong panels, on the sides of the walls 15, 16 and on the base surfaces of the grooves 14, which combine to present makimum surfaces for engagement with the cement, with the result that the tiles become very securely anchored, the gripping of the cement against the walls 15, 16 very materially aiding in the proper securing of the tiles in place. The flanges 17 of the tiles are of considerable importance, since when the tiles are applied the flanges of adjacent tiles come substantially together and the cement by engaging the Walls 16 of the flanges and bridging over from one tile to another effectually binds the tiles together, each tile becoming bound at its four flanges 17 to the adjacent flanges of the four tiles surrounding it. The flanges 17 are also of importance in that in applying the cement directly to the tiles, or buttering them as it is termed, the angular or sharp edges presented by said flanges serve as means against which the trowel may be moved in cleaning it and leaving the cement well on the inner face of the tile.

The grooves 14 formed between the walls 15 and flanges 17 receive the cement throughout their extent, and the fact that these grooves are open at their opposite ends is an important matter since thereby the cement is prevented from trapping air in said grooves. In fact the formation of the tile as a whole is such that air will not be trapped behind the tiles.

The edge flanges 17 are of importance in the manufacture as well as in the application of the tiles, since they prevent the warping or distortion of the tiles during the burning process and also prevent the glaze from passing over upon the edges of the inner face of the tiles and interfering with the action of the cement.

The presence of the grooves 14 along the edges of the face of the panel defined by the walls 15.

instance, a broad groove extended across the middle of the inner face of the tile.

In Figs. 3 to 8 inclusive I illustrate several modified forms of the edge flan e 17, and these will be readily understood I without further detailed explanation. The preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in which it may be seen that the outer" edges of the flanges 17 areon the same plane with the Obviously however, some of the advantages of my invention may be realized ii the flanges 17 should be formed of somewhat reduced height and without knife-edges. The inner inclined walls of the flanges 17 direct the cement, during the application of the tiles, inwardly from the edges of said tiles, and this very greatly aids in preventing the squeezing out or weeping oi the cement between the tiles.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. A tile having along the edges of its inner face grooves to receive cement, said grooves having substantially vertical inner walls and outwardly inclined outer walls; substantially as set forth.

2. A tile having along the edges of its inner face grooves to receive cement, said grooves being open at their ends at the corners of the tile and having substantially vertical inner walls and outwardly inclined outer walls; substantially as set forth.

3; A tile having along the edges of its inner face grooves 1- open at their ends and defined by a base surface, substantially vertical inner Walls 15 and outer inclined walls 16; substantially as set forth.

4. A tile having on its inner face an encompassing edge groove defining an inner panel and whose outer walls cooperate with the edge walls of the tile to form edge flanges 17 at the ends and sides of the tile; substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 29th day 01 June A. I). 1907.

JOSEPH M. WELLS.

Witnesses ARTHUR MARION, CHAS. C. GILL. 

